Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Key to Victory!

"I'm not a student of the Academy, so even if you give me the Thunder Talisman, I wouldn't know how to use it," Li Yunjie said in confusion. "Don't tell me you do?"

Since Su Qingmeng brought it up, she must have her reasons.

"I don't," Su Qingmeng shook her head.

"Then what's the point of mentioning it?"

"I may not know, but someone does!" Su Qingmeng continued.

Hope ignited in Li Yunjie's heart again, and he leaned forward eagerly, "Who?"

"Xiyan."

Li Yunjie's pupils trembled. The name was entirely unexpected.

As far as he knew, ever since Su Xiyan was afflicted with muteness, she had lived a reclusive life.

She had scarcely ever stepped outside the gates of the Prime Minister's residence.

How could she have learned the secret techniques of talismans at Taihu Academy?

Perhaps sensing Li Yunjie's confusion, Su Qingmeng spoke slowly:

"Xiyan was gifted from childhood."

"When Dean Gong came to lecture in the capital years ago, he demonstrated the secret arts of talismans before a crowd of scholars."

"Xiyan watched just once and grasped the key to it."

"She was only five years old then!"

Li Yunjie's eyes widened suddenly. "A genius!"

"Absolutely!" Su Qingmeng's expression brimmed with pride, then faded into melancholy. "If only it hadn't been for what happened when she was six..."

"Miss Qingmeng, you needn't blame yourself," Li Yunjie interrupted. "It wasn't your fault."

"Though Xiyan was unfortunate to fall ill, she still lives carefree."

"As the saying goes, misfortune may turn to blessing."

Su Qingmeng was silent for a long time, finally sighing in resignation.

"I have a question," Li Yunjie suddenly remembered. "I'm cultivating the martial path now, not the scholarly one."

"Can I still use talismans?"

"You can," Su Qingmeng replied calmly, "but not to their fullest power."

"And forcing their use will damage your vital energy."

"Then why ask me to use them?" Li Yunjie was a little annoyed.

"Do you have any other way?" Su Qingmeng retorted.

Li Yunjie pondered for a while and shook his head.

To defeat an opponent three levels above him, reckless risk was the only option.

"Anyway, your vital energy is so little, a few pills will replenish it," Su Qingmeng said disdainfully. "Go home for now. Tomorrow, find Xiyan and let her teach you."

...

The next day.

Li Yunjie rose early and went to Taiping Street to buy two roast geese as bribes for Su Xiyan.

He waited until the sun climbed high before Su Xiyan lazily opened the door.

"Sister!"

Li Yunjie called out to her with excitement.

Seeing Li Yunjie's mischievous grin, Su Xiyan instinctively hugged herself.

"Look what I brought," Li Yunjie held up the two roast geese.

Su Xiyan's eyes sparkled instantly, though the light soon dimmed again.

No one is generous without a motive—there must be a trick!

"Sister, let me ask you something."

Su Xiyan lifted her chin, signaling him to continue.

"You know how to use the talismans from Taihu Academy, right?"

Su Xiyan nodded.

Li Yunjie beamed, "Would you teach me?"

Su Xiyan sized him up thoughtfully, her gaze full of skepticism.

"I'm not asking for free lessons!" Li Yunjie presented the geese. "Consider this a deposit!"

"Once you teach me, I'll buy you osmanthus cake from Drunken Moon Pavilion!"

Su Xiyan's large eyes darted left and right three times, then scanned Li Yunjie twice more.

Finally, her gaze settled on the roast geese.

She swallowed and nodded her consent.

Taking the geese, she extended her hand.

Li Yunjie understood, and pulled a Thunder Talisman from his sleeve.

Su Xiyan flicked her small hand, grasped the talisman, and immediately shot Li Yunjie a glare.

Watch carefully, learn well!

Li Yunjie stared intently at her every move.

She took a deep breath and tossed the talisman into the air.

With two fingers pressed together before her face, the drifting talisman hovered in midair.

Then, Su Qingmeng swiftly formed three seals with one hand.

Her red lips parted, releasing the breath she had taken.

In an instant, dark clouds gathered overhead!

Crackling!

The talisman suspended in the air emitted violet lightning!

Almost simultaneously, bolts of thunder as thick as arms struck down from the clouds overhead!

They landed precisely where Su Xiyan's gaze fell!

Boom!

Amidst the lightning and thunder, the floating talisman disintegrated.

Only a peach tree in the courtyard remained, split and scorched, billowing black smoke...

"This is incredible!" Li Yunjie exclaimed in excitement.

This was true brilliance, a style that left awe in its wake!

At this moment, Li Yunjie's desire to cultivate the scholarly path reached its peak.

He hurriedly took out a Thunder Talisman and imitated Su Xiyan's actions.

After the first seal, the talisman hovered!

Li Yunjie was a little nervous.

Second seal, violet lightning!

His heart raced, breath quickened.

Third seal, clouds gathered!

It was coming!

Li Yunjie was so excited his toes curled tight!

He fixed his gaze on another peach tree. "Thunder, strike!"

In the dense clouds, sparks flickered.

A powerful oppressive force enveloped the Prime Minister's residence!

He expected a world-shaking blow.

...

But what happened next left Li Yunjie frozen in place.

Crack!

Thunder did come.

A tiny spark.

About the size of a spark struck from a flint.

Rounded up, it was as good as nothing.

"I must have done something wrong..." Li Yunjie comforted himself.

He tried again.

Still a tiny spark.

Unwilling to give up, he had Su Xiyan demonstrate once more.

Boom!

Another peach tree scorched.

Li Yunjie: ...

"I'll go back and reflect."

Without comparison, there is no pain.

Both were Thunder Talismans—one as thick as an arm, the other finer than a hair.

Clearly, the realm of genius was not something ordinary people could imitate.

This scene was witnessed by Su Qingmeng, who was about to leave the house.

She frowned, "After so many consecutive uses, your vital energy remains unharmed?"

...

With his pride shattered, Li Yunjie locked himself in his room all afternoon.

He finally reached a conclusion:

To win, brute force alone wouldn't suffice; he needed cunning!

Suddenly, he sprang up and fetched the Four Treasures of the Study.

"Young Master," Eleven watched Li Yunjie writing furiously inside, puzzled. "Cultivating the scholarly path isn't done like this."

"You must first study the classics!"

"Who said I want to cultivate the scholarly path?" Li Yunjie scoffed.

As he finished speaking, a grand masterpiece appeared!

Eleven picked it up and asked in confusion, "Is this a painting?"

"Sort of," Li Yunjie smiled knowingly. "This is a blueprint!"

"A blueprint for what?"

"Never mind," Li Yunjie said mysteriously. "Go find some bamboo. I want to build it myself."

Though bewildered, Eleven obediently went out and brought back some bamboo.

Li Yunjie tinkered in his room for two hours, working until night fell, before finally completing his creation.

Eleven gazed at the crisscrossed bamboo in Li Yunjie's hands, sensing something extraordinary.

"Eleven," Li Yunjie extended his hand, "give me a gold melon seed."

Eleven complied.

Li Yunjie hammered it for a while, flattening it into a thin wire.

He embedded the wire in the middle of the bamboo tube and let out a long breath.

"Finally done!"

Eleven frowned, curiosity brimming in his eyes. "Young Master, what is this?"

A faint smile appeared on Li Yunjie's lips. "This is... my secret weapon!"